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dropped maxtor external hard drive,

Discussion in 'PC hardware help' started by bigplayer, Sep 4, 2007.

  1. bigplayer

    bigplayer Member

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    i was moving and i dropped my external hard drive from about a foot or so high, didnt think much of it, when i tryed to use it, it turned on fine but it never came up on my computer, what do u think is wrong, and do ya think it can be fixed?
     
  2. geestar20

    geestar20 Active member

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    it just might be done...

    Try another PC and see if that one sees it as a drive, if not then your drive is gone.

    I use the USB WD passport for my external use and I dropped it quit a few times and it is still kick'n.

    You might wanna invest it somthing like that unless you use it for heavy use.
     
  3. bigplayer

    bigplayer Member

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    well that sucks, i had all kinds of stuff on there, yeah guess ill have to go and buy a new one, i need one anyways, this one was full its only 250g well if u or anyone else can think of something else let me know
     
  4. core2kid

    core2kid Regular member

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    If you still have it, you may want to try to take the drive out of the enclosure and see if it works. You may have loosened a wire or fried the circuits on the enclosure, not the drive.
     
  5. garmoon

    garmoon Regular member

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    There are services that can retrieve data from crashed HHDs for a price. I assume you used the drive to back up your important data on the C drive. So all your stuff is safe residing there (C)Right?? That's what externals are for back up your stuff.

    Drop the broken drive into the garbage can. And back up what you don't want to lose; and all you're out is the price of a new drive next time.
     
  6. core2kid

    core2kid Regular member

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    Depending on the brand, they have a 5 year warranty...
     
  7. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    Well, the only advice I can give is don't drop external hard drives! They're delicate bits of kit. You can try returning it but bear in mind companies are legally allowed to look through all your files when repairing HDDs. if you've personal sensitive information on there, you're best off binning the drive.
     
  8. core2kid

    core2kid Regular member

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    Really? Thats pretty stupid. I run a wipe on my drive before I send it out, just incase. 4 passes. I gotta send out my 200GB Maxtor because it randomly shuts down and sounds like my 1995 hard drive when seeking at times. Other than that it works fine. Just gonna get mine replaced before the warranty ends on August 13, 2008.

    BTW, whats the most reliable and least reliable hard drive brands? I personally like Seagate and hate Maxtor, though they are basically the same thing now.
     
    Last edited: Aug 3, 2008
  9. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    In order of reliability, by my experience and what I see on the forums:

    1. Seagate (most reliable)
    2. Toshiba
    3. Western Digital
    4. Samsung
    5. Maxtor
    6. Hitachi

    though 5*6 are both pretty gruesome. Hitachi have had a fair few failures, but Maxtor have had quite a lot of fires.
     
  10. core2kid

    core2kid Regular member

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    Seagate and Maxtor are now made by the same people so its ironic how Seagate performs so much better.
     
  11. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    Made yes, but not designed. Maxtor haven't had any new designs of their own since the Seagate takeover.
     
  12. Racer_XO

    Racer_XO Member

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    If you really need the data off the drive, you can try by putting in your freezer for a while (1-2 hours) and then connecting it to your computer. This sometimes works depending how old and bad the damage is.
     
  13. BC2002#1

    BC2002#1 Member

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    Did the same to my WD external for my laptop, had personal information did not want to sent out for recovery; however, had an external case for 2.5. I carefully opened the case, after numerous attempts to get the laptop and the desktop to recognize it - which they did not.

    I opened the case careful and removed the drive (warranty voided ofcourse) and installed in an external case. It worked and all data was removed. Still works.
     
  14. sammorris

    sammorris Senior member

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    External HDDs mainly fail due to the enclosure, not due to the drives themselves.
     
  15. core2kid

    core2kid Regular member

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    Very True. Again, the enclosure might just be shot. I dropped a 20gb laptop external that was in a case. It continuously clicked in the case but once in a laptop, it worked fine. No bad sectors at all. Passed stress tests.
     
  16. bigplayer

    bigplayer Member

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    yeah i took it apart and nope still didnt work oh well, need a bigger one anyways lol thanks everyone
     

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